Loom replenishing means



Dec. 20, 1955 E. c. Nlcl-'loLs 2,727,539

` LOOM REPLENISHING MEANS Filed Jn. 7, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 l/ Il I .l MM- *um* 5 9 13,/

l0 i lo Ej Erg. S Ma/xfs fl'g. Z Z/@ A TTORNE V Dec. 20, 1955 E. c. NICHOLS 2,727,539 LOOM REPLENISHING MEANS Filed Jan. '7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD C. NICHOLS A T TUN/VE V United States Paten`t""tl5ce 2,727,539 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 2,727,539 LOM REPLENISHING MEANS Edward C. Nichols, Upton, Mass., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application January 7, 1955, Serial No. 480,381 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-231) If the shuttle to which a full bobbin is to be `transferred is lmproperly positioned beyond permissible limits, they and need not be described further here.

In theory, a shuttle feeler is regarded as an instrument which, failing to contact a shuttle at the transfer cycle, will permit transfer to take place, and oppositely, if it does engage the shuttle, will revoke'the setting before the cycle can progress to a point where disturbance of the filling supply is started. Actually, most transfers4 or attempted transfers are thus carried through, but there are in-between situations where the action is not decisive and clear cut. The tip of the shuttle feeler often slips past the point of a shuttle not completely boxed and becomes arrested in some intermediate position thereon to swing the shuttle feeler as the lay moves forwardly so that instead of a revocation of complete and decisive nature, an intermediate condition prevails. t

As is understood by those familiar with loom operation the point of the bunter latch nger at normal transfer. improper boxing of the shuttle, scrapes the side of the shuttle feeler, the result may be such that the. bunter tip engages more or less squarely against the top point of the latch finger. In new equipment these points are sharp enough so that they would probably slip off Vso that a transfer or revocation would be forthcoming; however, after extended use the points become blunt and asa result,

If the shuttle tip due to on the lay engages a notch in the 2 v in which the bunter atects a movement through the linger, but by contact with the action is one down through the shuttle. Of course, the loom stops due to lack of filling as the shuttle will be picked empty.

A more serious situation develops when the members and lost production result, are very extensive and costly. In remedying the above said revoker arm and latch finger being such that the if below the result.

The invention will be described in greater detail by reference to a preferred form thereof as evidenced in the accompanying figures of drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view taken just outside the bobbin transfer means of a loom showing the application of the invention thereto.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are schematic views of a shuttle tip and shuttle feeler end illustrating possible interrelationship of these parts at bobbin transfer.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of parts `which go to make up the invention, I

Fig. 6, is a side elevation of the same parts shown in position to eiect transfer.

"Fig 7 is a similar View, but showing revoking.

Now referring `to Fig. l, the invention is illustrated as applied to a more or less conventional fly shuttle loom in which a Ishuttlewhen the parts are in alignment, at the same time driving the expendedbobbin from the shuttle. The supply of bobbins held `in the battery -are indexed-in a'clockwise direction as shown in this figure by certain mechanism including a ratchet wheel 15,stoppawl 16 and other parts not shown, andthe terminal bobbin or .that next to be transferred shown here as the bobbin 17 is positioned against a bobbin guide 18 attached beneath a part of the hopper stand the lower portion of which indicated at 19 serves as an abutment for certain parts hereinafter to lbe described. A swinging bobbin guide 20 serves the usual function, the construction and operation of these batteries being well known and therefore not necessary of further description at this time.

A transferrer 21 in the form of an arm more or less horizontally disposed and having a bobbin engaging portion 22 is adapted to be swung l.about a transferrerstud 23 fixed in a part of the hopper stand and therefore permanently and rigidly positioned, thereby to drive the terminal bobbin such as the bobbin 17 vfrom the position occupied in the battery to ythe shuttle, it being understood that the shuttle will be aligned beneath that bobbin just at that particular time. As the full bobbin is driven into the shuttle to be held in the bobbin holding springs therein, the expended bobbin will be driven out of the shuttle and down through the lay to a bobbin can or other receptacle for the purpose. The transferrer also has a more or less vertically disposed arm 24 by means of which the transferrer mechanism yis caused to swing about the pivot 23 whenever the parts are properly set to be engaged by a part of the forwardly moving lay as will hereinafter be explained.

Pivoted at the point 25 on a fixed part of the loomside, or any suitable extension thereon, is a shuttle feeler 26 having a curved profile as seen in Fig. l and also being bent appropriately in the opposite plane so that the tip part 27 thereof may move forwardly to the dot-and-dash line position of the figure to feel or sense the presence of a shuttle tip in the event the shuttle is not properly boxed within tolerances such that one might expect a normal and effective transfer. A small amount of clearance is provided between the adjoining face .of the shuttle feeler and the bobbin tip when the shuttle is completely boxed, but as is well known, shuttles rebound slightly or fail to be boxed completely, especially when the bobbin supply has been substantially exhausted, and therefore these shuttle feelers are set to permit a maximum tolerance for the shuttle position so that one may expect a satisfactory transfer. Normally the shuttle feeler is moved to the active or dot-and-dash line position by the transfer mechanism linkage as affected by the filling feeler mechanism at the opposite end of the loom.

The arm 24 has pivoted at 28 a latch stand 29-adjustably carrying a latch finger 30. The latch nger is .clamped in the stand by a clamping bolt and nut 31, Figs. 5 and 6, and is maintained in an adjusted position by an adjusting screw 32 retained by lock nut 33. This latch "finger is slightly modiiied from the usual latch finger employed in looms of this type but has its endadjacent the lay, that is, the end extending rearwardly as the finger is raised, to position its notched end illustrated at 34 for the reception of the pointed end of a bunter 35 which is in turncarried at the forward part of the lay 12.v

The shuttle feeler 26 has affixed thereto an arm 36 which bends forwardly and also to the side as illustrated in Fig. 1 having at its top end a pivot or connection 37 for a link 38, the other end of this link being attached as illustrated at 39 to a second finger-like member 40 hereinafter referred `to as a revoker arm. This arm lhas the function of raising the Ilatch stand and latch finger to active position to be engaged by the .hunter andof lowering it to the position of Fig. l which .is inactive. As shown the enlarged views, .arm `40 is pivoted 'at 41 rather on the latch .finger r and also .has a notched end 42 the notch .of which vis slightly farther /advancedin a direction forwardly ofy thelloom than is the corresponding notch 34 of a finger 30. This revoker arm also has a top point 41' corresponding more or less to the top point of the latch finger 30 but in a position such that the bunter will strike the point 43 and not the point of the finger since the latter is shielded or blanketed off by the presence of the corresponding part of the revoker arm itself. This revoker arm also has an upwardly extending stop means 44 which engages beneath the hopper stand when the parts are in active position for transfer thus limiting the movement and also positioning the parts so that the point of the bunter may properly engage within the notch of the revoker arm. A stop pin 45 is set in a boss or other part of the latch finger 3i) and limits downward movement of the revoker arm maintaining proper relationship between the two parts, a spring 46 coiled as illustrated about the fixed pivot pin 41 and having its free end 47 engaging above pin 39 in the revoker arm always serves to maintain that relationship of the parts except as shown in Fig. 7, when the revoker arm is actually employed as a part ofthe linkage acting to break down or collapse the latch mechanism thereby to prevent transfer as will be explained.

The link 38 is connected to the revoker arm at the pivot or pin 39 just above mentioned and against which the spring 46 bears, and to latch depressor stud 37, the latter being a more or yless standard part of these mechanisms. In the usual instance such a stud is engaged by a latch depressor cam rather than being a pivot carried iixedly within the free end of an arm 36 as above described and as shown in Fig. l. When the shuttle feeler 26 is swung to active or dot-and-dash line position in Fig. 1, the arm 36 is likewise moved throughout a corresponding angular extent and pulls upon link 38 to raise the latch iinger and revoker arm to the position of Fig. 6, it being a simple matter to swing these parts about the pivot 28.

In operation, the situations illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 maybe experienced. There the shuttle is shown in different positions it may occupy relative to the path of the shuttle feeler and in Fig. 2, the shuttle is shown more or less completely boxed with the feeler in position, the lay having moved forwardly with the shuttle tip clearing the feeler as intended. In Fig. 4, the shuttle has been left in a rather badly boxed position, this situation being evident whenever the shuttle does not completely enter the box or when it stops with too much residual energy and rebounds. There the shuttle feeler tip has been engaged by the shuttle point and, of course, forward movementof the lay will result in the shuttle pushing the feeler forwardly and in revocation since the forward movement or swinging of the shuttle feeler 26 results in a corresponding angular movement of the arm 36 which pushes on link-38 to swing the latch mechanism in its entirety about pivot 2 8 the parts thereby being returned to inactive position as .illustratedin Fig. 1.

Under theiirst condition, Fig. 2, the forward movement of the lay results in transfer since the bunter 35 engages beneath the V.point of the revoker arm and even though the revoker arm is raised slightly the bunter slips downwardly and cannot escape the notch in the finger 30 so that the parts occupying more or less the position shown in Fig. 6 are pushed forwardly in a straight line movement thereby swinging arm'24 and transferrer 21 so that the transferrer tip or hammer 22 descends upon the bobbin and transfers it to the shuttle-in the usual fashion.

In the situation presented in Fig. 4, the movement of the lay forwardly results in swinging the arm 36 to a position in which the latch mechanism is rendered inactive, the first angularmovement of the parts being suicient to cause a lowering of both the latch finger and the revoker arm so that the bunter 35 moves past the top of both members `thereby having no eifect whatsoever upon the transferrer mechanism .including arms '24 and 21.

Now referring to Eig. '3, the shuttle may be left in just such a position'thatits point scrapes against the ladjacent surface of the shuttle feeler lin which `event it moves the shuttle feeler in the direction of revoking, but not Sulliciently to lower the finger 30 and the revoker' arm 40 so that the bunter clears them, but-rather, as illustrated in Fig. 7, may cause the parts to engage at their points so that a swinging of the latch mechanism about pivot 28 is not at first apparent. It is in this situation where, if there were no second latch member or `revoker arm 40, engagement of the point of the bunter with the point of latch finger 30 itself would cause the unintended operation described at an earlier part of this specification. However, with the mechanism herein described and which is to a great extent foolproof, .the pressure brought by the point of bunter 35 against the top point 43 of the member 40 merely results in collapsing the latch mechanism by breaking down the linkage about pivots 28 and 41 since the parts may swing as a hinge at the latter point against the tension of the spring 46. At this point it should be noted that spring 46 has no great amount of strength and is much more easily deected than a much larger spring coiled about the stud 23 which tends to maintain the transferrer arms 21 and 24 in their raised or inactive position. Further forward movement of the lay merely collapses and swings the parts to a greater extent so that the bunter may not cause the transferrer to contact a bobbin such as the bobbin 17 and eventually the point of the bunter 35 will slip from the top of the revoker arm or, if the arm slides upwardly, there will be no pressure against the latch finger point since at that time as illustrated in Fig. 7, the action which takes place must occur entirely through the revoker arm 40 which is in effect merely a second part of the linkage which swings the latch stand and finger downwardly to the position of Fig. 1. After a certain amount of movement of the shuttle feeler or of the lay, the parts will be returned to a completely inactive position so that partial transfers or double transfers can no longer take place.

While the present description and illustrations apply by way of specific example to a replenishing and revoking means such as utilized on the well known Draper loom, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to all such devices employed in automatic, bobbin changing looms.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention not to be limited to the precise details debut is lntended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

ing a bobbin from the battery to the shuttle upon call for replenishment which includes a bunter movable with the lay and means engageable and forming a part of a swinging bobbin transferring means, the combination it will be outside the path of the bunter as the lay moves forwardly in the loom, said revoking means including as a part thereof an element which when properly engaged by the bunter, will serve as a part of the linkage to eifect transfer, but when improperly engaged thereby will render the device inactive and revoke the transfer feeler by an improperly boxed shuttle for moving the means engageable by the bunter to a position in which 'it will be outside the path of the bunter as the lay moves forwardly in the loom, said revoking means comprising a linkage one element of which serves both as a means to impart movements from the lay and bunter to the transferring means and also to revoke the transfer setting depending upon the shuttle position.

`3. In an automatic, bobbin changing loom having a battery, a shuttle,a lay, and transferrer means for moving a bobbin from the battery to the shuttle upon call for replenishment which includes a bunter movable with the lay and means engageable and movable thereby and forming a part of a swinging bobbin transferring means, the combination of a revoking means including a shuttle feeler and means effective upon movement of said shuttle feeler by an improperly boxed shuttle for moving the means engageable by the bunter to a position in which it will be outside the path of the bunter as the lay moves forwardly in the loom, said revoking means comprising a linkage of two members one of which when the shuttle feeler indicates a properly boxed shuttle conveys the movement of the lay and bunter to the transfer means to effect replemshment, and when the shuttle is not properly boxed imparts to the said means engageable by the bunter a movement to a collapsed and inactive position.

thereby to prevent a transfer action.

5. In an automatic, bobbin changing loom having a battery, a shuttle, a lay with a bunter, and a transferrer means for moving a bobbin from the battery to the shuttle upon call for replenishment which includes a latch to an inactive position.

6. In an automatic, bobbin changing loom having a battery, a shuttle, lay with a bunter, and a transferrer stand and engageable by the bunter, the combination therewith of revoking means which comprises a shuttle arm relatively to the finger, a spring for maintaining and linkage from said shuttleteeler to said member for imparting movements of .the feeler to .the member, nger and latch stand, the disposal of pivots between said parts being such that pressure Vof the bunter vagainst the topmost part ofthe end of .the member results in collapsing the latch stand to aninactive position.

7. Mechanism asdeiined in claim 6 wherein said linkage from the shuttle feeler to rthe `revolier larm comprises an arm .movable with but offset from the lshuttle feeler andla link :pivoted to and interconnecting said arms.

8. In lan automatic, bobbin changing loom having a battery, ashuttle, a lay with a bunter, and a transferrer means for moving a bobbin from the batteryto the shuttle upon call for replenishment which includes a latch stand and a notched latch finger carried in said stand and -engageable by .the bunter, the combination therewith Aof revoking .means which comprises a shuttle feeler, a .revoker arm fpivoted to said latch finger and having a .notched end, fthe notched ends of the finger and revoker arm being similarly formed with that of the arm shielding `at least a part of the end of the finger so that the bunter must first contact the point of the arm rather than .the point of the `finger, the pivoted relationship of the vrlatch stand, '.nger and arm being such that pressure of vthe bunter yagainst `the top point of the notched end of he arm causes the collapse of these parts thereby to yrevoke a setting for transfer.

No references cited. 

